The bamboo root, rich in Chi, is the source of the Japanese 5-hole flute. The name shakuhachi describes its length, and thus its key, as D. The instrument is a wind reed, a difficult embouchure to master, but one rich with expressiveness.
The natural pentatonic scale is known to native peoples everywhere as the modality of the Earth. You can hear its notes in the falling water of rivers, in birdsongs, in the rain.
Our son Max is featured on this track and I composed the music afterward around his profoundly beautiful and soulful playing. The breathy flute embodies spirit, and the descending, four note motif in the accompaniment are common threads throughout the Snow on Water body of music.
The soundtrack to the video, this piece is the essence of awakening.
A testament to the gift that is Asking…